Image processing may include processing a first digital image by combining the first digital image with a second digital image. Such a combination of the data of the first and second digital images may be used with the overlaying of one of the images to the other image. One of those images then functions as background, a border or as a mask, and the other image is combined and/or merged with the overlay, background, mask etc. These schemes are preferably used with respect to overlaying a logo or caption on video data.
The video data comprises data representing a succession of digital images (frames), wherein those digital images, i.e. individual frames, are referred to hereinafter as the first digital image. The logo, caption, background, mask etc., referred to as the “overlay”, is represented by digital image data also. The digital image data of the overlay is hereinafter referred to as the second digital image.
According to the state of the art, applying logo and/or caption data to digital image data is accomplished via commercially available overlay generators which are normally standalone devices and which must be purchased at considerable costs. Additionally, there are software approaches available, which enable the addition of logo and/or caption data to digital image data, but those approaches add a considerable computing overhead and as an additional disadvantage, may be disabled.